The present invention relates to an automatic processing apparatus, and in more detail, to water supply and replenishment processing in the automatic processing apparatus in which light-sensitive material is developing processed by a processing solution in processing tanks.
Conventionally, an automatic processing apparatus, by which a series of development processing such as color development, bleaching, fixing, washing, etc., in silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is automatically carried out, is widely known.
In such an automatic development processing apparatus, light-sensitive material such as film and paper is successively fed into processing tanks in which each processing solution is stored, and development processing is carried out. However, each processing solution becomes weakened while processing the light-sensitive material and the processing ability of the processing solution is decreased. Further, also as the processing procedure advances and processing solution from the previous process is fed, the processing ability is decreased.
Accordingly, a replenisher including processing agents is periodically replenished corresponding to the processed area of the light-sensitive material.
Further, an apparatus by which solid processing agents are replenished, (here, solid means tablet type processing agents in which powders or granules of the processing components are compression-molded into a predetermined shape, the sectional shape of which is a circular), is disclosed in the official gazette of WO 92/20013.
When the processing amount of the light-sensitive material is small and the time between processing is long, sometimes the liquid level of the processing tank is lowered and the processing solution becomes more concentrated. In this case, not the replenisher but the supply of water (which is called water supply, hereinafter) is necessary. Conventionally, water supply is manually carried out by users according to a previously designated amount. Because the above-described evaporation amount is changed due to the effects of temperature or humidity in the environment of the apparatus, in which the automatic processing apparatus is used, or processed amounts or processing temperature of the light-sensitive materials, a problem exists in that it is difficult to accurately carry out the appropriate water supply.
On the other hand, in the automatic processing apparatus structured in such a manner that solid processing agents are replenished, water supply to maintain the concentration of processing solutions corresponding to the replenishment of these processing agents is necessary separately from the above-described water supply for the evaporation. Therefore, water supply tanks, in which water for water supply is stored, are provided in the apparatus, and water supply is carried out from these water supply tanks to each processing tank by pumps. Further, when the automation of the water supply for the evaporation is realized, the above-described water supply tanks are necessary.
Here, it is necessary that processing solutions in the processing tanks are adjusted to a predetermined temperature so that the appropriate processing temperature can be maintained. This is done by a combination of detection of the temperature of the processing solutions by temperature sensors, and control of supplying power to heaters based on the temperature detection.
However, when the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the apparatus is low, the difference between the water temperature in the water supply tanks and that of the processing solutions in each processing tank becomes large. Accordingly, there are possibilities of the following problems, in which: when low temperature water is mixed into the processing solutions in the case of the water supply from the water supply tanks, the temperature of the processing solutions is lowered, and is lower than the allowable temperature range in which developing processing can be carried out; or when solid processing agents are used, a longer period of time is necessary for the dissolution of the solid processing agents when the temperature of the processing solutions is lowered.
The replenishing operations of the processing agents or replenishing solutions are carried out at intervals based on the accumulation value of the number of processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials or processed area. However, when the processed amounts per unit of time is small, there is a problem in which the number of times of replenishment is decreased, and deterioration of the processing solutions is a major concern.
Further, when the water-supply operation is carried out in accompany with the replenishment of the solid processing agents, a relatively long period of time is necessary for dissolution of the processing agents. Accordingly, when an amount of the water supply corresponding to the replenishment of the processing agents is supplied in timed relationship with the replenishment of the processing agents, a surplus water supply is carried out before the processing agents are dissolved. Therefore, there is a potential problem in which variations of the concentration of the processing solutions at the time of replenishment become large.
When, for example, the washing tank is structured by a plurality of tanks, and further, when there is a processing tank (for example, the fixing tank), in which the same kind of water as that in the plural washing tanks can be used, the followings are required: these plural processing tanks should not be individually provided with pumps; the replenishing operations should not be realized by complicated piping; water supply can be supplied to each processing tank by a fairly simple structure; and a large amount of overflow of the water by an ineffective water supply should be extremely prevented.
Further, when the replenishing solution tank or water supply tank is empty, or no solid processing agent is available, the processing solution concentration or processing ability can not be maintained so that processing should be stopped. However,when the apparatus is structured in such a manner that processing is stopped immediately, the operability is not acceptable, and maintenance operation is complicated, which are disadvantageous.
That is, although no problem occurs in the case where the replacement operation is rapidly carried out in the automatic processor, the following problems occur in mini-laboratories, the number of which has greatly increased recently, and which has an automatic processor, called a mini-laboratory. There are almost no cases in which an operator is exclusively in charge of the automatic processor. That is, generally, a working staff operates an automatic processor for negative film processing, and simultaneously carries out printing operations by an automatic processor for processing color paper as an operator. Further, the working staff deals with customers, and carries out print arrangement operations. Accordingly, in many cases, for example, the replacement operation of a container, in which solid processing agents are filled, with an empty container is not rapidly carried out.
In the above case, the chemical activity of the processing solutions in the processing tanks can be kept at a predetermined value by stoppage of continuous processing of photographic material in the case where there is no solid processing agent in the accommodating portion. However, in types of methods which are carried out in mini-laboratories, the continuous processing performance is lowered. Further, in order to keep the continuous processing performance at a predetermined value, it is necessary to continuously observe the automatic processor, and to rapidly carry out the replacement operation. Accordingly, operators can not have a sufficient time and spiritual margin for maintaining the automatic processing system, which is a major problem. With regard to the above problem, a method exists in which the continuous processing performance is not sacrificed, and the replacement operation can be carried out with a time and spiritual margin, when the replacement operation is carried out under conditions in which predetermined amounts of solid processing agents remain in the accommodating portion. However, it has been found that the following problems occur in this system.
That is, it is necessary that space, in which a predetermined amount of solid processing agents are accommodated, is provided for an automatic processor. It adversely affects the desired decrease of the size of the automatic processor, or a predetermined amount of remaining solid processing agents is in contact with the highly humid atmosphere near the automatic processor and absorbs the humidity at the time of replacement operations. Accordingly, the solid processing agents adhere to the apparatus, or the components in the solid processing agents are deteriorated.
The supply amount of the solid processing agents corresponding to the light-sensitive material differs depending on the processing solutions such as developing solution, fixing solution, etc. As a result, the automatic processor is needed, in which the amount of remaining solid processing agents is adjusted for each processing agent, but which results in an apparatus which becomes more complicated, which is another problem.
On the other hand, the replenishment of the replenishment water has a similar problem as next described. It is necessary to determine the amount of remaining replenishment water by considering the total amount of replenishment water for each processing tank, in order to eliminate replenishment tanks for each processing solution and to enable the replenishment water to be supplied from a single replenishment water tank to each processing tank, and to carry out the replacement and replenishment operations for replenishing the replenishment water within a sufficient time, without stopping the continuous processing. This adversely affects the desired decrease of the size of the automatic processor, which is a problem.
When the developing processing is continued within the range in which processing can be smoothly carried out even after no water supply and replenishment have been carried out, the following problem occurs. In the case where processing agents are set in the apparatus, and replenishment and water supply are started again, when ordinary replenishment and water supply are carried out, then, the shortage of replenishment and water supply amounts, which is required when developing processing is continuously carried out under the condition that replenishment and water supply can not be carried out, is not supplied. Accordingly, the concentration of he processing solution can not be satisfactorily maintained, which is a problem.
Further, when solid processing agents are used in the apparatus, characteristics such as dissolving time, or the like, change depending on the kinds of processing agents. Accordingly, when conditions of water supply, replenishment, and processing temperature are fixed, sometimes, the processing conditions are not optimum with respect to the processing agents actually used. Further, in the case where a plurality of processing agents are accommodated in a cartridge, and the processing agents are periodically replenished from the cartridge, when the replenishing time intervals are rather long, or the apparatus stops for a fairly long period of time, processing agents accommodated in the cartridge deteriorate due to temperature or humidity conditions, and therefore there is a possibility in which process conditions of water supply, replenishment, and processing temperature deviate from the optimum value of the processing agents.